Fire Safety and Candles

9/21/2018 (Permalink)

There’s a special beauty and tranquility to candles, but a lit candle is also an open flame, and a potential fire hazard if not carefully monitored. 

HOW TO BURN A CANDLE SAFELY

BEFORE LIGHTING

• Before burning,always trim the wick to ¼ inch. You can use a wick trimmer, nail clippers, or scissors. Long or crooked wicks can cause uneven burning, dripping or flaring.
• When lighting a candle, use long matches or a long-reach lighter. Keep  hair and loose clothing away from the flame.
• Always use a candleholder specifically designed for candle use. It needs to be heat resistant, sturdy, and large enough to contain any drips or melted wax.
• Burn candles in a well-ventilated room.
• Place the candleholder on a stable, heat-resistant surface. This will also help prevent possible heat damage to counters and table surfaces and prevent glass containers from cracking or breaking.
• Keep the wax pool clear of wick trimmings, matches and debris at all times.
• Avoid drafts, vents or air currents. This will help prevent rapid or uneven burning, sooting, and excessive dripping.
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on burn time and proper use. In general, it is recommended that candles do not burn for longer than four hours and cool for at least two hours before relighting.

WHILE BURNING

• Never touch or move a burning candle. Never move a votive or container candle when the wax is liquefied.
• Don’t burn a candle all the way down. For a margin of safety, discontinue burning a candle when 2 inches of wax remains (1/2 inch if in a container).
• Place burning candles at least three inches apart from one another. This is to make sure they don’t melt one another, or create their own drafts that will cause the candles to burn improperly.
• Extinguish a candle if the flame becomes too high or flickers repeatedly. Let the candle cool, trim the wick, and check for unwanted drafts before re-lighting.
• Always keep the candle within your sight. If you are going to leave the room, be sure to first blow out all candles.
• Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room. Don’t burn too many candles in a small room or in a “tight” home where air exchange is limited.
• Never use a candle as a night light.
• Be very careful if using candles during a power outage. Flashlights and other battery-powered lights are safer sources of light during a power failure. Never use a candle during a power outage to look for things in a closet, or when fueling equipment – such as a lantern or kerosene heater.
• Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep burning candles away from furniture, drapes, bedding, carpets, books, paper, flammable decorations, etc.
• Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets or anyone else.

WHEN EXTINGUISHING

• Use a candle snuffer to extinguish a candle. It’s the safest way to prevent hot wax from splattering.
• Never use water to extinguish a candle. Water can cause the hot wax to splatter and might break a glass container.
• Make sure the candle is completely out and the wick ember is no longer glowing before leaving the room.
• Don’t touch or move the candle until it has completely cooled.
• Never use a knife or sharp object to remove wax drippings from a glass holder. It might scratch, weaken, or cause the glass to break upon subsequent use.

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